The internal crisis within the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) escalated today as the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) suspended its National Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gbam, alongside two other top officials.
Also suspended with immediate effect are Nze Nnadi Clarkson, the National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, the National Youth Leader, over allegations bordering on gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds, reports The Nation.
The decision was announced in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, following a high-level NWC meeting held at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Tension gripped the SDP secretariat as early as 10 a.m., with heavy security checks on party staff and NWC members.
Journalists invited to cover the meeting were denied entry.
The situation turned chaotic around 11:45 a.m. when a group of protesting youths forcefully pulled down the gate to the secretariat after security personnel tried to block a vehicle carrying a party chieftain from entering the premises.
The youths, reportedly acting on instructions from one of the vehicle’s occupants, broke in to allow the car passage.
Amid the commotion, plainclothes security agents seized the phones of two reporters observing the protest.
The devices were only returned following the intervention of a senior police officer.
Calm was eventually restored with the arrival of a combined team of police officers, the State Security Service (SSS), and civil defence personnel.
Following the meeting, Aiyenigba released an official statement confirming the suspensions and reaffirming the party’s commitment to accountability and internal discipline.
The statement reads: “In exercise of its exclusive powers as guaranteed in Article 19.1; 19.3(i) and 19.5 of the Party Constitution (2022 as Ammended), the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has approved the immediate suspension of the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gbam, along with two members of the National Working Committee (NWC), namely: Nze Nnadi Clarkson, National Auditor, and Uchechukwu Chukwuma, National Youth Leader, over grave allegations of gross financial misconduct, embezzlement, misappropriation, and diversion of party funds.”
Ayienigba further said the decision to suspend the party chieftains “followed a resolution of a meeting of the National Working Commitee (NWC), where overwhelming evidences were presented linking the suspended officials to a series of unauthorised financial transactions, personal enrichment schemes, and movement of funds from the party’s accounts without necessary approvals of the NWC.
“The action of the NWC to suspend the National Chairman and two members of the NWC involved in the gross financial misconduct is to demonstrate to the general public that the Party, generally esteemed by Nigerians as a disciplined party and a credible alternative political plaform for national redemption has zero tolerance for corruption and abuse of office.
“The decision to suspend the National Chairman and other implicated NWC members is to allow for a thorough investigation. Our integrity as a political party must be upheld at all times.”
The statement further reads: “An interim investigative panel has been constituted to audit all financial records and recommend further disciplinary or legal actions.
“In the interim, the Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sadiq Umar Abubakar, has been directed to assume leadership of the party pending the outcome of the investigations.
“The misappropriated funds amount to hundreds of millions of naira, including donations and resources realised from the sales of nomination forms in the 2023 general elections and other funds from the party accounts.”
The statement further indicated that the suspension has been communicated to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), and all relevant anti- graft agencies and security agencies have been formally notified.
